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David Barker, a member of the Iowa Board of Regents, was nominated by President Donald Trump on Friday to be the Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
If confirmed, Baker would work under nominated undersecretary Nicholas Kent, and oversee higher ed programs and policy. According to a news release from the U.S. Department of Education, Barker would focus on improving outcomes and accountability by reforming accreditation, improving federal student aid programs and ensuring grant programs match the Trump administration’s priorities.
Barker holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago and has taught at both the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa. Barker was an Iowa regent for six years where he advanced cost control measures, promoted academic freedom and ended “discriminatory DEI programs,” according to the release.
U.S. senator Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican, said in the release that as a sixth generation Iowan and entrepreneur, Barker has a track record of success and “is a great pick.”
